Robbery by Consent

Along with millions of other users, I too got an SMS from the merry folks at Airtel (my cellphone service provider) dated 30th Dec 09 at 9:35AM. Here is the content:

"Kindly note your discounted SMS tariff will not be applicable on 31 Dec 09 & 1 Jan 10. All SMS sent on this day will be charged @ Rs.1 as per the normal tariff."

In any case, the situation in the state as it is with all the bandhs and mild disorderly behavior, I am betting there won't be a large number of "Happy New Year!" greetings flying around. Though I can't say the same for the rest of the country who'll have to pay the whole rupee for each message.

Update, Jan 2nd 2010:

2 Billion SMSes sent on New Year's eve in India. The service operators made a killing, put together they made around Rs. 1.5 billion with the varying tariffs across plans and geographies. Seems some Airtel packages offered messaging @1 paise (Rs. o.o1) per SMS. By that measure they must have my profile up their in the "sucker" category who would be happy to pay a premium of a 100 times for the exact same service.

In the spirit of consumer awareness, I therefore was eagerly awaiting the "Mobile Number Portability" scheme that the telecom regulatory authority was to introduce on January 1st across the various service providers at a nominal rate of Rs. 19 . The cartel though had the last laughs by successfully delayed its implementation yet again, this time by atleast 6 months.

Survival as Victory

Reading a bit of history this week, I came across an amazing story. Very apt for a big budget movie adaptation in the genre of Lawrence of Arabia. It is the story of the half-dead Dr. William Brydon of the British East India Company who in 1842 was the sole survivor out of a party of 16,000 during the 140 km retreat east from Kabul to Jalalabad in the first Anglo-Afghan war. There is war, intrigue, history, tragedy, endurance and in the end there is survival.

Here is Dr. William Brydon's first person account from the archives of The Times newspaper dated 7th April 1842 of the happenings of that week in January. The randomness of survival in such circumstances is a striking feature of his matter-of-fact report. A painting by Elizabeth Butler - "The Remnants of an Army" furthered the legend of the event and that of Afghanistan in those times (below).


For the nearest cinematic experience of similar times and occurrences, watch "The Man Who Would Be King" which is based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling who surely must have been aware of this tale.

More Info:

1. http://www.theestimate.com/public/100501_dossier.html
2. http://afpakwar.com/blog/2009/09/16/pictures-of-war-can-carry-more-moral-meaning-than-thousands-of-words/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Brydon
4. http://www.britishbattles.com/first-afghan-war/kabul-gandamak.htm
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_%28film%29

Natural Ability ++

Tiger Woods has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. A carefully crafted sculpture has been turned into an effigy. One of the less intriguing dirt dug-up on the golfer is the revelation that he might have undergone a "blood spinning" procedure. The procedure itself is not banned by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) as it is claimed only to help athletes recover from injuries, but the question is if it constitute an unfair advantage.

In the lead up to the Beijing Olympics, the story of Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter came to light. Although he couldn't qualifying for the event, even if he did he might not have gone to China. That's because Oscar doesn't have feet of flesh and bone, he has carbon fibre prosthetic ones. IAAF, the governing body for athletics did not know what to do in the case and were only spared by the fact that he marginally missed qualifying for his national team.

IAAF's predicament is understandable. It was a situation where for once inferences are stumped by completely alien circumstances. It is interesting how we condemn authority figures (in this case, IAAF) for holding hypocritical views while our own views in private are no different. No one in all honesty expects a man with artificial legs to be a match for the real deal.

The real problem is with the notion of fairness. Boxing divides fighters into weight categories to adhere to the principle of a "fair fight" but some boxers have a greater natural reach than others. As technology improves while we hold on to our archaic egalitarian ideas, the future in sports could see procedures to lengthen limbs or reduce pain. Already there are stories of baseball batters getting eye surgeries done to enhance vision.

The Amateur Sports Movement with its "sports for the sake of sports" has long since reached its demise. Now as professional sports merges with entertainment the rewards for performance come from outside the sporting fraternity. Such rewards sometimes may not honor the same qualities that sporting peers approve of. Therefore for the sake of the viewing public (and their money) sportstars of tomorrow will have to botox their abilities even if it shames them.

More Links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/dec/16/tiger-woods-dr-anthony-galea
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/sports/othersports/15runner.html
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971024/REVIEWS/710240303/1023
http://www.ossur.com/?PageID=13462
http://www.time.com/time/reports/heroes/foot.html

Decapitated State

Andhra Pradesh

Of the happenings in the state in the last few days, there are so many opinions that anything I say would be wrong. Instead here is a video that might act as a metaphor for these times.




Reality Check: This is just a reminder of what India is under its skin.

Related Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8406456.stm

HR Nightmare: Ninja Assassin

In the urge to get a fill of movie violence, I made my way to "Ninja Assassin" recently. Blood hit the ceiling and walls regularly and the body count was high. Any semblance of logical coherence was neither expected nor delivered. But surprisingly there is a story (all be it unintentional) hiding behind all the limb-dicing and blood letting. And this story finds resonance with the most far removed profession from martial arts i.e. - human resource.

Premise
Raizo the protagonist and the namesake of the title, is a member of one of the deadly and ancient clan of Ninjas. Ninjas are the traditional Japanese professional assassins-for-hire. The whole of the story of "Ninja Assassins" is encompassed by the two words in the title - Raizo turns on the clan and starts assassinating Ninjas. Very straight-forward and no nonsense.

The HR interpretation
First, Raizo was kidnapped and brainwashed as a young child by the Ninja clan. As a strategy the kidnap and indoctrination method of external recruitment is extremely effective, the armed forces come very close to this in their cadet system although they don't exactly kidnap children. The possibility of dissent is almost eliminated and hence there is no challenge to the organization and methods until Raizo's rejection of his surrogate community in the film shows up the importance of self-identity for an employee. Also the lack of internal recruitment (like say - heredity) means that the ninjas deal with an unknown commodity each time they recruit.

Second, the training through discipline and punishment keep the trainee ninjas on a tight leash. We see that Raizo's love interest, Kiriko is not convinced by the direction of the training and rebels leading to her execution. After that Raizo develops a grudge against the system which inevitably leads to his departure from their fold. The lesson here is to not alienate trainees through unreasonable practices.

Next, the incentives and perks should be designed to provide motivation to the employees. The ninjas demand of 100 pounds of gold per hit should normally be a great inducement for them. But the movie shows the ninjas leading an almost ascetic life in the mountains where wealth seems to be of little consequence to their personalities. Although Raizo is informed time and again that he would take over from his master, the prospect of promotion is not a resource retaining incentive for Raizo and the clan fails to recognize this.

Finally, the non existence of an exit strategy is the main personnel issue within their system. The conflict between Raizo and the ninjas can be put down to the lack of a proper means of amicable severance where everybody lives. The bad blood between Raizo and the ninjas leads to Raizo ganging up with the enemies of the ninjas i.e. law enforcement, resulting in the climatic battle thus dooming the clan. Interpretation - Poaching is a major issue in ninja land too.

Extra Reading:

1. India's Ninja Version: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggie
2. India's pride? Behram, World's Top Assassin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_prolific_murderers_by_number_of_victims

An Alternative Approach

"Shubh Muhurath" means an auspicious time. In Hindu tradition there is an auspicious time for everything. It's scary to think that some points in time are discriminated against by God. But that is exactly what the astrologers say and hence people get busy rearranging their lives around that supposition. As things stand, no one wants to rub the almighty the wrong way and especially so when seeking the optimal time for getting married. After a week of attending Hindu weddings and engagements, it has come to my attention that past December 2nd 2009, the next window of nuptial opportunity opens up only around 4 or 5 months into 2010 (or so in Andhra).

We are told that all this winter the planetary alignments are unfavorable for weddings. Therefore November has seen a rash of weddings and engagements all across India - a mad rush to beat the calender. The wedding industry is at fever pitch and the prospect of waiting has caused the prices to shoot up. Although the idea of waiting for the right time might look to be archaic and superstitious to some but there are a few positives for the Government of India here.

In a crude and non-scientific manner the logical conclusion of no/less marriages in the 1st quarter of 2010 means there should be a dip in the babies produces in the last quarter of the year. Or in the least there ought to be fewer first-borns among Hindus in that period. Thus paradoxically birth control finds an unlikely ally in superstition. Again, there is a parallel argument that the spike in weddings pre and post the dreaded time will offset the missing babies. But this small 4 month baby-buster period still remains.

Ignorance and illiteracy have always been seen as India's shame and in most respects along with poverty they are the root cause of many evils in the society. But the lessons from the "auspicious time" syndrome is that everyone irrespective of education and sense will avoid actions which the society frowns upon. This attitude can also be good news for policy makers i.e. by exercising control over people's beliefs, desired behavior can be cultivated. Although this may border on exploitation, but so long as the end justify the means, little harm is done. Also by not shoving rhetoric down the public's throat, the government can avoid popular resistance. Therefore in the case of the impending inauspicious period for marriages, the authorities could publicize the perceived "bad timing" to prevent and postpone weddings now with the hope of reducing birth rates later.

Disclaimers:
1. May not apply to the whole country
2. Not well researched

More reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomer

Being Certain

Buying insurance for my bike is a question hanging over my head for a few months now. The old policy expired around march and for various reasons I have not bought a new policy. Factoring in a 10% depreciation over the last years value owing to wear and tear, the annual premium would come to around Rs. 1100. More than the amount, I have not been able to convince myself of its need. Ofcourse if I get caught on the roads on that bike, I will be fined for not currently being covered.

Insurance is a science with its origins in human psychology, it is a materialistic method of dealing with uncertainty as opposed to the spiritual method - religion. In this regard insurance today is a powerful force leading people away from simply having "faith". Instead of ignoring its corrosive effect on religion like most other religions do, Islam is one faith that deals with this threat to belief with tact. Therefore Sharia law permits "Takaful" as form of basic insurance. This provision is useful in circumventing the contradiction between a benevolent God's omnipotence and human effort to mitigate perceived uncertainties. Yet the primary form of insurance that Islam prescribes is the goodwill of fellow believers.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" - Hebrews 11:1, The Bible


Insurance is an area where psychology, statistics, marketing, finance and economics converge, perhaps even a bit of metaphysics. But the pessimistic, morbid and cold approach insurance adopts towards its subjects is what puts off most people from trying to understand its need. The statistics behind life insurance is the use of actuarial tables which ascertain the probability of the subject's demise before his next birthday, hardly a cause for cheer. Therefore according to the World Health Organisation's actuarial tables for 2006 in India for a 24 year old male, there is a 1.3% chance that I would not make it to the age of 29 (assuming average health).

Coming back to my bike, my reasons for not buying insurance are more mundane. Firstly, the risk of theft. For this threat, I have a simple safeguard mechanism - my dog. Blacky guards and sometimes even chews on parts of the bike as it would a toy and hence I am assured of the bike's safety. Next, damages - with the kind of policies that are on offer for motorcycles, it is practically impossible to get insurance to pay for damages to the vehicle. It becomes too tedious and the amount paid up is paltry. Third party coverage - with the decreased use and shorter trips that I take these days on the bike, third party involvement is a remote possibility. Hence the only good reason for me to get auto insurance is that the law requires me to do so if I plan to use public roads.

More reading:
1. http://www.vakilno1.com/bareacts/MotorVehiclesAct/S146.htm
2. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Excerpt_from_CDC_2003_Table_1.png
3. http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l264-Third-Party-Insurance.html
4. http://www.slowpokecomics.com/strips/insuranceinsurance.html

Devil / Deep Blue Sea

Today is poll day in the Hyderabad Municipal Elections. For those who are not convinced, here is an option: Not to record your vote. It is allowed in the system and as strange as it may seem it can be done through Section 49-O of the Conduction of Election Rules, 1961.

How such an exercise of one's franchise enhances democracy is still a question. Maybe it is similar to walking away when nothing on menu is desirable, but the problem of hunger remains.


Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 -

Section 49-O: Elector deciding not to vote.
-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.


Update, 11:30 AM, 23rd Nov 2009, Jubilee Hills, Ward No: 109, Hyderabad:
On inquiring the returning officer about the provision for casting a "not to record" vote, I was told that it was not possible and that I had to either choose among the candidates available or go home. This time I did walk home unlike the last general elections.

At the cost of seeming to promote anarchy, I can atleast claim to have no part in the sins to be committed in my name. A la Pontius Pilate?

The Romantic Weapon

Here is a piece of communication which sends mixed signals. I can't understand the language and the bad date music seems out of place in a weapon sale pitch. No wonder the shooter has those earmuffs on!



The Belgian made FN P90 is one of the weapons that is used by the Special Protection Group (SPG) in India. The SPG in India, like the US Secret Service is charged with the protection of the Prime Ministers (present and former), their families and top officials. My guess is that the SPG guys would need similar ear protection around that crowd.


Related Links:
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_P90
2. http://www.spg.nic.in/

Greater Good

Civic bodies being the oldest form of government have a special place in human societies as opposed to the governments of the state. They exist to act, there is less of a deliberative or legislative function. Citizens cannot avoid interaction with the workings of this last tier of government and the result of large scale apathy can lead to what game theorists call the Tragedy of the Commons. This situation is illustrated in the photograph taken near KBR park in Hyderabad today : What happens when each person leads his Buffalo to graze in public parks?

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Election will be held on the 23rd of November. The last election was held way back in 2002, the council was dissolved after the expiry of its 5 year term. The Corporation was run by the state government through the Commissioner for the past two years until the courts forced the government's hand, hardly a beacon of democracy. The spectacle of mini-rallies are now suddenly seen around the city and suddenly we have "leaders" on every street corner. Post general elections all this seems like comic relief.

Although local body elections are of lesser consequence than state and national elections in the Indian scenario, yet after the 74th Constitutional Amendment of 1992 there is renewed focus on municipal and panchayat elections. Consequentially there is more politicizing of issues which are essentially of a resource distribution and service delivery nature. Therefore there is a huge police bandobust around the city and residents see more security forces out and about than after a bomb scare. All the 5000 licensed weapon holder are directed to surrender their arms during the elections and history sheeters are to be monitored.

Issues that plague Hyderabad are infact no different from any city of a similar size and class around the world - electricity, safe water, roads, affordable housing, sanitation, taxes and so on. What is different though is the composition of the new corporation, GHMC has been expanded to include vast tracts of land (and people) around the city and hence is all the more powerful. With the expanding role of the local media as an extortion agency, the small time politicians too have more mouths to feed before they get their piece of the cake.

GHMC's annual budget of around Rs. 31 billion is controlled by 150 corporators. If done right, the corporation could in theory be looted for about Rs. 200 million per corporator each year (if swindled to 100% efficiency). Therefore the citizens of Hyderabad have to hope that there might yet be some progress on the civic amenities front since attaining such a high hit ratio by the politicians is improbable due to lack of coordination, incompetence, prevalence of individual over collective greed or simple guilt.


More Reading:
1. Indian Express: 20% of Licensed Gun Owners yet to be deposited arms
2. GHMC 2009 Elections Link
3. The Hindu: Media greed during elections causes serious ethical questions
4. Science Magazine: Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin, 1968

Ramayana and The Searchers

It is interesting to juxtapose stories from different cultures and times to observe the varying conclusions drawn from very similar circumstances. These conclusions serve as a mirror of the values held dear by the different cultures and help us understand how we view the same world from different places. Here is an exercise in this endeavor.

Ramayana
The ancient Indian epic by Valmiki is centered around the abduction of Rama's wife Sita by Ravana of Lanka. The word "Ramayana" mean Rama's Journey. It narrates the tale of Rama's search for his wife. In this search Rama is aided by his brother Lakshmana and disciple Hanuman. The posse set out to ascertain the abductor's identity and then make the journey to Lanka to confront and defeat Ravana. On rescuing Sita, Rama asks his wife to prove her chastity after which he accepts her.

The Searchers
The Searchers is a 1956 western movie starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford. The story is about Ethan Edwards whose young niece Debbie is abducted in a Comanche raid by Scar. Ethan then wanders the American West along with his kin Martin Pawley for years to find Debbie . On finding her, they kill Scar and after initially trying to kill the now Comanche-raised Debbie, Ethan has a change of heart and accepts her.

Commonalities
The common threads running through them are of violation, abduction, retribution and redemption. The stories are primarily told through the eyes of the wronged man and not the woman who was the target of the act. Both Ravana and Scar are seen as savages, one as a demon king of Lanka and other a wild Native-American Comanche chief. The abductor in both stories have a back story which explains their actions and project them in a new light of moral ambiguity. In a more primal sense, they depict an innate fear of dispossession. Finally towards the end, the main characters of Rama and Ethan are shown up to be less than impeccable and fighting demons of their own.

Contrasts
Given the similar situations encountered, the tales do diverge in many aspects. Sita never accepts her fate and believes that her husband will come to her rescue while Debbie is forced to live her new life as one of Scar's wives. Rama is portrayed as someone who can do no wrong yet on succeeding in his quest he doubts his wife. Rama's behavior though is regarded as somewhat understandable by both the characters in the story and the audience at large. Whereas in The Searchers, Ethan is an outlaw and the motives of Ethan's search turn from finding his niece to killing her within a few years with the realization that she must have turned more Comanche and less "civilized". His fellow searcher, Martin does not approve of Ethan's intentions and this disapproval is reflected by the audience. Therefore we see Ethan as a character more true to his beliefs irrespective of others' approval as opposed to Rama.

Another point of contrast is the climactic transformation. Rama has historically been seen as an avataar of God, hence all character flaws have been brushed aside. Throughout Ramayana, even when asking Sita to prove her chastity Rama does not doubt his own actions. Whereas Ethan with his sure intention of killing, when finally facing his now Comanche niece has a change of heart. Ethan goes from a man who is sure of his action to a man doing the right thing - an antithesis of Rama's Dharma.

Interesting Readings:

1. Review of The Searchers : http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20011125/REVIEWS08/111250301/1023
2. Read the Plot of The Searchers here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Searchers_%28film%29
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana
5. "Epic Proportions" by Ethan Gidsdorf : Contemporary themes and interpretations of Epics

Opportunities in the Indian Setup

Here is an interesting Times of India article narrating a blow-by-blow account of Mr. Madhu Koda's activities as the Chief Minister of the State of Jharkhand between 2006 and 2008 (the story is still unfolding , so the narrative may be incomplete).

Beyond the scale of corruption, it is an interesting story of a man's rise and now presumably his fall . Yet there are bigger fish in the country, it's a shame that so many times it is left to our imagination to assimilate their stories of plunder and adventure.

Nuvvu or Meeru

My mother tongue is telugu and after listening to (without always understanding) many Indian languages, I realize that most Indian languages are copies of each other. Any unique feature of a language is immediately plagiarized and presented to its new consumers as original. The syntax is all that varies while the semantics finds parallel in other languages.

This process works so long as the feature that is adapted can locate a void that is to be filled in the linguistic and cultural context of its new host language. After many centuries of this process of assimilation, we see that the mythology, folklore, songs and more recently movies have such close resemblance in the various linguistic cultures that these linguistic communities become parallel mirrors of each other.

So it is that although we have been constantly informed of our linguistic diversity, we find that the talk in these Indian languages is about the same things. All this comes as no surprise. But with a foreign language such as English in the midst of these native tongues, the translations tend to get interesting. The prevalence and acceptance of a foreign language in India too can be explained through the paradigm of a sibling rivalry among the native languages that could only arrive at a truce wherein the lingua franca was foreign, hence everybody lost but no one complained.

But in the bargain, we forget the quirks of our native tongues that define each of our identity. One such central character in many non-western language (or atleast in telugu) is with regard to addressing others (the 2nd and 3rd person singular). The practice of using the plural grammatical number when referring to a single person denotes reverence or submissiveness or respect towards the listener, sometimes a salutation is also used.

e.g: "Nuvvu" and "Meeru" in Telugu (both singular for "you", but the 2nd one uses the plural form).
This is similar to "Tu" and "Aap" in Hindi for "you". But it is taken to another level in hindi/urdu when the singular 1st person is sometimes referred to as "Hum" meaning "We".

Therefore when using an Indian language to address a listener, the speaker looks to pick up clues on background and status so as to accurately place the prospective listener on the social ladder. All the while, the speaker himself tries to project verbally and non-verbally his own perception of self-worth to the listener, so that he is not mistaken for a lesser being. Ofcourse, there is an opportunity for explicit course correction (singular to plural or visa-verse) when this complex dance fails and the judgment is inaccurate but that just shows up the lack of social faculty of the speaker.

This feature is by no means unique to India or even the continent. But to be able to use this single feature, the speaker has to possess vast amounts of social knowledge and skills. It is difficult to always identify where to use the straightforward single grammatical number and where to use the tricky plural grammatical number while faced with a situation demanding a conversation with a random person. Thus the grammatical demand for social information about the listener forces the speaker to get more involved in the society and its hierarchy resulting in better communication.

Birdbrained

This was on Page 9 of today's Sunday Times (25th Oct 2009) in Hyderabad.


Don't think the newspaper allowed it to be placed in the obituary section so the "Family & Friends" must have bought this advertising space instead.

Tales of Heads

The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati, India is the richest and the most visited temple in the world. Devotees from far and wide make the pilgrimage and the folklore of the temple is well known throughout India. Although insignificant in comparison to its religious importance yet there is one other reason for temple town's fame - Tirupati is the world's largest producer of human hair, infact enough to make India the world's largest exporter of hair.

One of the traditions at the temple is the tonsuring of millions of devotees' heads as an offering to the Gods. The hair thus donated finds great value in the international market. The temple's trust - Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam is charged with the management of the shrine and consequently also auctioning the tonnes of hair to generate revenue for the temple.

The current accepted notion of beautiful hair is very close to the Indian variety. The average Indian woman's head is not accustomed to the cosmetic torture that the western woman puts herself through and hence the quality of the export is better. Therefore the hair goes into making hair extensions, wigs and other cosmetic products consumed in a culture very different from the producer's. Here is an example of harmonious trade among nations where everyone comes out a winner, well almost. Although there are no complaints about the trade practices but it escapes most of us that the business is based on a uniquely uneasy issue - beauty.

Both beauty and the beholder's eye are functions of culture. The dominant culture or race in a society dictates the standards of beauty which generally resemble their own physiology. Therefore in the US where African-American women are a minority in all respects, it becomes harder to sustain their idea of beauty against the onslaught of the establishment's ideas, especially regarding African hair. This is the subject of a recent movie/documentary by the acclaimed African-American comedian Chris Rock - "Good Hair", he even came down to Tiruapti to follow the fake hair trail to its origins.

While the devotees in Tirupati are oblivious to the role their hair plays in the psychological battle overseas, at home they are subject to a very similar barrage with regard to skin colour. The cosmetic industry in India has been steadily picking up on the idea of fairness of skin as a desirable trait and has been eating away at the minds of Indians for years in order to sell their products. The harm that such ideas do to a population is inexcusable and the effects of such campaigns on children are especially horrendous. Ultimately though such ideas only survive because of our tacit support no matter how harebrained they may seem.

Update - Chris Rock's visit to Tirupati:

Interesting Readings:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,536349,00.html
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/movies/09hair.html?scp=1&sq=good%20hair&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/14/world/a-religious-tangle-over-the-hair-of-pious-hindus.html?pagewanted=all
http://seedofdevotion.blogspot.com/2008/12/liberation-at-21.html
http://www.godammit.com/2009/03/14/the-ethics-of-hair-extensions/

Diwali Dilemma

As Diwali approaches, so do the campaigns and calls for a "Clean", "Green" and "Humane" celebration. They say we are to avoid crackers which are polluting and noise making, curtail excessive consumption & spending and even try and understand the plight of the animals on the night.

All of these calls are very noble except this sensitive side of some sections of the population seem not just naive but also misplaced expressions of political opinion in the marketplace, as this article explains: Boycott Minus the Pain by Anand Giridharadas. The use of consumption as a political platform is not new in India - the swadeshi movement of the pre-independence era was a forerunner of a lot of the boycott movements of today.

But the trend of limited-liability politics currently seen, although new is not totally desirable. Campaigns like the Lights-Off campaigns at the designated "Earth Hour" which are token environmentalist movements only end up obstructing the achievement of their own objectives by using up the public goodwill in meaninglessly trivializing their cause. Therefore just as there is a dip in the grid consumption of electricity for the hour, at the end of the hour there is also a massive spike in the consumption while the production remains constant. Everyone feels a little more saintly but as an employee of the electricity distribution board will tell you - electricity is not petrol.

There is no "saving" of electricity through non utilization, only thing saved is the bill amount. Electricity is like rainwater which ends up in the drain if unused. In reality the only way to save power is by planning out consumption patterns and coordinate with various players in a complex jigsaw operation to have optimum utility. Surely too many details for the instantly gratified do-gooder.

The fact is that India being a poor country, we have to pollute more to develop. Pollution is the pound of flesh to be paid for progress and there is no getting around that. It will not be pretty or morally justifiable. And it is not out of ignorance that we deny climate change and other environmental concerns but through our knowledge of greater concerns. The sacrifice we make is that future generations might not get the best possible environment but these sacrifices are made with the hope that we can avoid passing on to them the miseries of our lives.

To Follow an Ambulance

To have it easy in life is the stated objective of many. To this end can be attributed a lot of tribulations that people go through. But sometimes, very briefly one gets to experience the "easy" part of life even in the most uncomfortable of situations.


And so it was that I was the beneficiary of some soul's misfortune as I slotted into the slipstream behind an ambulance yesterday at Lakdi-ka-pul, Hyderabad. The ambulance tore through the traffic clog and I happened to be right behind the emergency vehicle and made a journey of 20 minutes in 5. Must admit to feeling guilty for this providence as it was in all probability not serendipitous for all parties involved. Admittedly though I saw my impending moral hassles beforehand and therefore this picture. Besides I suspect there might also exist some traffic directive against following an ambulance in traffic but I didn't seek out the ambulance and had no choice in that jam but to follow.

Nobel Prize for Elocution

Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize today. I guess being the President of the Untied States is a gift that keeps giving. Only, with this prize there is the small matter of the $1.4 million prize money. I am not sure if the President is allowed to keep the sum under their constitution but that is a different matter. What every news report did harp on is that the committee has this year used the prize as a carrot thrown at the world's most powerful man and what remains to be seen is if the bite is as strong as the bark (in matters of peace, ofcourse).

The use of persuasion is not alien to Mr. Obama (see previous post: 'The Spoken Word'), indeed he arguably is the most persuasive man on the planet. And therefore he surely understands the intention of the world through this prize to hold some form of minute influence over his country's actions through him. America being the sole superpower, the world needs to be reassured that reason does prevail in Washington. Indeed, the president has acknowledged that the honor is an encouragement for his stated international policies - implying that it is more a 'Thank God!' for the end of the Bush Doctrine and not so much a nod to his own achievements.

As America debates a very domestic issue of Healthcare Reforms, where the president seems to be on the ropes, this prize has come as a welcome relief to his credibility. And although it may have no bearing on the outcome of the Healthcare reforms, Mr. Barack Obama could yet realize the goals of the Peace Prize through these reforms too. Any change in Healthcare delivery system in US will have knock on effect on similar systems around the globe. The world is in need of cheaper drugs which is possible when some of the drug patents are relaxed in the US. Also the USFDA is the standard bearer for new drug developments worldwide and hence any sharing of expertise and knowledge with emerging nations can only help saving lives.

Often though the public fails to see in times of change, the things that remain the same. On the ground therefore the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of the year remains the head of the army which is at war in two foreign nations. Picking holes in the choice almost seems too easy. Yet, what the award this year succeeds in doing is shedding light on the kind of leadership to be desired from heads of state. To world leaders, this announcement hopes to show that the power they hold can be used for more than simply furthering narrow national interests and asks of them to be true statesmen of wisdom if not merely the right words.

More Reading:
1.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wallechinsky/obama-awarded-nobel-peace_b_315111.html
2.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/6284763/Barack-Obama-surprised-and-humbled-by-Nobel-Peace-Prize.html
3.http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2009/10/first-year-grad-student-wins-nobel.html

Recession Time Jobs

The huge Billboard over the Khairatabad Junction in Hyderabad, presumably one of many around the country on the night functioned through the duration of the Champions Trophy final (cricket) between Australia and New Zealand on the 5th of October.

This version of the analog scoreboard was manned by 3 guys - 1st guy was constantly running to and fro 50 feet above the ground changing the digits as the 2nd guy was relaying the score to him (source: his Airtel mobile?) while the 3rd guy was apparently busy laying back and taking in the view.

Full Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/iccct2009/engine/current/match/415287.html

The Games We Play

"Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned" - It was in all probability a nasty political statement to destabilize the emperor’s grip on power but it is also an important indicator of people’s expectations of their leader. A Man of Action is sought and all the shortcomings of the leader are forgiven when this singular expectation is met. To be such a man, certain traits are considered vital. One such trait is excellence.

Every sphere of human activity is a quest for mastery. The ancients realized that the attainment of the ultimate in any pursuit is a mark of an individual’s character. Indeed some activities have been designed with the sole purpose of identifying human excellence. Before the Romans used sports for amusement, the Greeks had come up with the Olympic Sports not as a mere means of recreation but as a scientific process of identifying the best among us. Competitive sport was therefore meant to segregate and distinguish potential - A potential to be tapped for greater deeds.

Sport is a proving ground to hone one's skills to face life. Yet today sport is slotted either next to or made part of public entertainment. For some a sport is a career, for others sport is an escape – a place to hide from life. The Satyajit Ray movie based on a Premchand short story - “Shatranj Ke Khilari” depicts the sport of chess as a source of trance that numbs the decadent protagonists into inaction resulting in their inevitable doom. There is refuge in the fairness of sport, the rules are known and applied uniformly. The arbitrary nature of human existence does not creep into sport and hence true justice seems possible.


Therefore it is understandable that once most people taste this offering of sport, they do not ever completely participate in life. But from time to time the ultimate objective of sports is deciphered by a few. These few, after reaching the pinnacle of sporting nirvana realize the futility of their pursuits and focus their attention on grander endeavors. A few years ago Chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov retired from chess to get into the murky waters of Russian politics. Then there is the tragic tale of the young American footballer Pat Tillman who gave up a $3.6 million dollar contract and fame to enlist in the US army post 9-11 only to be killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Closer to home, the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy who recently died in a helicopter accident, is said to have been a weightlifter and an outstanding NCC cadet in his youth. And all the hyperbole of the elegies aside even his detractors would agree that he was definitely a natural leader of men, atleast in the primeval sense. Sports might not have been the secret of his political prowess but if he had found bliss in mere sporting achievements then there would have been one more entertainer and one less leader.

A New Man

In the news this week was the Tamil movie "Kanchivaram" for winning the Indian Government's National Award for the best film of the year. A thorough and in depth review of the movie and it's historic sources and significance can be found in this Frontline magazine article. The nature of communism and its origins in India are shown in the movie. But what is of greater interest is the message about Marxist ideals' uncomfortable existence in the Indian setting.


Tamil film : Kanchivaram

The criticism of an egalitarian utopian society is easily made on the grounds of feasibility or realism. These arguments have been supported and upheld in many states around the world over the past century. The almost ritualistic cycle of unrest - revolution - reform - decay - collapse are seen in various current and former red states. But the romanticism of true equality persists none the less. And although democratic values could in theory espouse these notions of parity, we see today that democracy rarely mixes with communism.

For some, the failure of Communism was inevitable owing to its dichotomy with Human Nature. The argument is that communist ideology is at loggerheads with the basic human instinct of self preservation and greed. But Leon Trotsky saw this contrast as a sign of the human race breaking away from its animal origins and taking the reigns of its destiny into its own hands - a response to the cognition of biological evolution.

The movie "Kanchivaram" deals with this very disconnect between our ideals and our human condition. In an anti-thesis for communism in the Indian context, poverty and customs are shown as as the trigger for the protagonist to abandon the greater cause for a narrower call of personal importance. Sacrifices are a luxury the poor cannot afford. And in showing this betrayal of doctrine, the film reveals that in contrast to the popular thought of poverty as a precondition for the establishment of communism, in India poverty in fact also moves the desperate away from communism.

The failure of the idyllic vision of a revolution leading its citizenry to evolve into greater beings has been aptly captured in the following soliloquy by a soviet officer in the 2001 movie "Enemy at the Gates" set in the Battle for Stalingrad.

"Man will always be man; there is no 'New Man'. We tried so hard to create a society that was equal where there will be nothing to envy your neighbor. But there is always something to envy – a smile, a friendship, something you don’t have and want to appropriate. In this world, even a soviet one, there will always be rich and poor: rich in gifts, poor in gifts – rich in love, poor in love."

King of the Road

A few centuries ago when the issue of suffrage began, the requirement was not merely citizenship. What was required was that the electorate either paid some form of taxes or had estate (property) along with some form of established social standing. The reasoning was as follows: Anyone with a say in the workings of the government needs to have something at stake as well.

Today of course we have universal adult franchise and everyone is equal in most nations. Yet there are areas in today’s life where we can clearly see that without contributing to the pot there is no way one stands a chance of winning, or even placing a bet. One such domain is the Road. The roads of today are for public utility and as such are free to be used by anyone. And by saying anyone, we do not restrict its usage to the taxpayers but all citizens, or so in the letter of the law.

But roads are rarely used to walk on these days and certainly not for long distances. For long hauls, means of transportation is necessary. Although pubic transportation forms a part of the traffic on the roads, the number of such vehicles forms a minority. For the most part it is the privately owned vehicles that use the road. And these vehicles, their owners and their interaction with others on the road create the strange politics of the road.

The advent of modern high-speed transport has forced the rules of the road on all its users. These rules are uniform and universal and have little interaction with culture and are not easily altered. Yet with private ownership of the means of transport comes a degree of freedom. These freedoms though are bought at a price, a price that is in excess of the mere cost of the vehicle. Even with assumption that all citizens have the resources to acquire the means of transport, yet there are other costs which some are more able to bare than others. On Indian roads these inherent distinction among men can be seen on the roads and in the use of transportation.

Firstly, the Additional Costs that are imposed on the user either in the form of licenses, penalties, insurance, repairs, taxes or other methods of inconvenience thus stratify the motorists. The ability to afford (or sometimes escape) the additional costs of using the road usually determines the pecking order on the road. Thus a form of class struggle breaks out each day on the roads. The social and economic status of a motorist becomes instantly recognizable by the vehicle he owns and more importantly the manner in which he drives. In India, a keen observer of this distinction is the traffic cop who has to be selective in stopping his prey.

Secondly, there is a matter of Right of Passage, in India that honor is bestowed on the largest vehicle not because of the precedent set by the rules but because of its potential to wreak greater damage. In the jostling for space on the tarmac, the threat of violence and destruction both overt and covert are powerful. Although such a threat is subliminal in most aspects of life, but on the road it becomes all too apparent. A game of chicken is played out daily on the roads wherein the objective is to see who has more to lose with the stakes being life and limb not to mention property.

It is important to understand that the factors like the Additional Costs and Right of Passage do not work in isolation. In practice factors such as these in aggregate create a method of compelling means of control over other motorists. Therefore these means of control on the road far outreach the bounds of the rules imposed on its users. These factors can thus potentially provide the chips for anyone to play a hand at the gambling table that is the road.

Is More Less?

Birth Control is a touchy subject around the world, but not so much in India. Although public discussion is absent but there is no real opposition to it either. If we were to take up the argument of population as a bane, then contraception would be an effective arsenal at our disposal. Especially considering the more disturbing alternative to get the same result: Abortion.

But if we look at population as an asset regardless of the economic and social implications then the morality of population control comes apart. The Roman Catholic faith is a vocal proponent of this opinion and their justifications are derived from the scriptures, although other Christian sects might not agree. Islam too is a not very keen on the idea of contraception and this is plain to see through the prevalent fertility rate in most Islamic communities. But Hinduism is a major religion which does not prescribe to any particular view on the subject. The lack of a moral compass from the Hindu faith on the subject has driven India's policy on population control into the hands of economists and scientists.

Therefore from the time of abortion being made legal in 1971 in India it took just a few years for the unpopular sterilization program under the Government's Family Planning initiative to get operationalized. Although the actual program was shelved due to its implementation, but the idea that population is India's burden has persisted. Today birth control is a common practice, couples are encouraged to use contraceptives, some local body elections do not allow candidates with too many children. The popularity of contragestion apart from contraception is a testimony to growing perception that population control is necessary.

The one-child policy adopted by China as a method of policy implementation is debated widely. But successive governments in India have tried to achieve similar results without creating a law. Therefore the mission of birth control was sought to be achieved through engineering consent among the public. Hence a generation was taught that excess population is a liability. And this effort has worked, although not to the levels of the Chinese extremes but to the extend that was possible without twisting arms.

Today there is practically no debate on birth control, none of the manifestos in the recent election had anything of note in this direction. The deficit of voices on this crucial issue is a matter of grave concern since birth control defines the structure of future societies and it has the power to fundamentally alter the institution of family.

A great telugu poet Gurazada Apparao once said : "Desamante matti kaadoyi, desamante manushuloyi" meaning, A country is not made of land; a country is made of its people.

The Spoken Word

It is hard enough to convince one other person but to do so with millions of people takes some outrageous oratory skills. There is no denying that persuasion is only partly accomplished with words but without the right words it gets exponentially harder. The religions of old are a product of some profound arguments and the most effective manner of delivering these argument is rhetoric. Ideological demigods always knew oral propaganda to be the most potent tool at their disposal. And today we see a shining example of what the spoken word can accomplish in Mr. Barack Obama.

The understanding of language and the ways in which it moves people is complex and goes beyond the mere use of apt syntax or appropriate semantics. A compelling argument will do to people what a magnet does to nails: attract and align. Today Mr. Obama gave yet another rousing speech titled "On a New Beginning" at Cairo University addressed to the Muslims of the world. Someone shouted out "We love you" and no one was reaching for their shoe, a marked improvement for the office of President of United States in the space of six months. A change in voice can do that, obviously the message was different from the Bush doctrine but also the way it was delivered must hold some bearing. Here was the most profound manifestation of what one man's words can do in shaping the image of a nation in the eyes of a people.

Mr. Obama has been doing this for sometime now, from the Democratic National Convention of '04 and "A More Perfect Union" speech from his own campaign to the "Yes We Can" victory address and "A World without Nuclear Weapons" speech in Prague. Even the Tricky Abortion debate at Notre Dame was handled with sensitivity and understanding. Some of this leading to a Daily Show comedy sketch comparing Obama to Superman! Mr. Obama too has mockingly compared himself to Jesus for all the fans of his sermons.


Every country has been on the hunt for its own Obama since his rise but what the public means by this is not the just the politics and symbolism of Mr. Obama but also the appeal that such oratory kindles in them. Indian media too was awash with the search of the Indian Obama and leaders in all parts of the country have cited the American leader as an inspiration and cast themselves as his Indian avatar during the recent elections. But persuasion is a talent that is elusive to most. In Andhra Pradesh, India a popular movie actor, Mr. Chiranjeevi tried his hand at using a similar message of change in his campaign for the state election, but his speeches were a disappointment and his campaign derailed.


(In Picture: Praja Rajyam Party's Chiranjeevi projected as a Mr. Obama's counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, India)

Yet all is not lost for the Indian politician, I'll conclude this piece therefore with an example of a combative speech given in the thick of the Trust Vote debate in the Indian Parliament by Mr. Omar Abdullah on July 22nd 2008. This one speech helped many conclude that what transpired on that shameful day was atleast not a complete farce.

Crime Capital

Stuartpuram is a town in Andhra Pradesh, India which is famous or rather infamous for one particular export. Much like with the IT prowess of India exported to the rest of the world, this Stuartpuram export too is a skill. People in the know can disregard this drum roll, but for the rest - the talent is crime. There is a proud tradition of burglary, extortion and other forms of foul play at Stuartpuram. Yet this identity is not geographical but a communal identity of a tribe.

Theft and deception is said to be this community's occupation. In fact this tribe was covered in the draconian sounding "Criminal Tribes Act of 1871" framed by the British which basically supposed that there is a gene for criminal behavior. They were convinced of the "Born Criminal" doctrine and that Nature ultimately holds sway over Nurture. For good measure there is even a telugu movie by the name "Stuartpuram Police Station" starring the reigning star of the times in '91 - Chiranjeevi to further the legend.



Movie Poster : Stuartpuram Police Station

From accounts, Stuartpuram was a town that was used by the British to resettle the "Criminal Tribe" since the tribe was itself nomadic as it had to be when the stated occupation is such. To be fair though, the tribe's traditional vocation is said to be hunting for game, but they had to adapt once they were ejected from their forest habitats. The Act itself was repelled at the time of Independence but the stigma must surely remain. The town is still considered as the heart and brains of crimes both petty and extraordinary in the state. And so for all purposes this town is at the top of law enforcement's list whenever there is heist of note.

It is hard to escape one's extraction but easier to embrace cliches. Yet there have been reformers trying their hand at "rehabilitating" the citizens of the town. But the "Kula-Vruthi"- a word that means profession but in an almost karmatic manner, of these people is unfortunately not just reaffirmed by the larger society but also by the community itself on many occasion. People come from everywhere to Stuartpuram when the service of larceny is required. For the police the town is a one-stop shop for concluding their theft cases.

The irony here is that although there is scant respect for the law among the deviant elements of Stuartpuram yet these are the very people who best understand the law for what it is and its limitations in life. While rest of India lives a self contained existence which dare not test the boundaries of the norm, here are a bunch of intrepid citizens who see the country now as the British once saw it - Jungle Raj.

Interesting Readings:

1. http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/20/stories/2008032058440300.htm
2. http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/ambedkar/web/readings/Simhadri.pdf
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerukala
   

Barca vs Man U from India

It is close to midnight of the 27th. Champions League final (football is the game under consideration) is about to begin in an hour: Barcelona vs Manchester United. Both recently champions and probably the best two club sides in the world. They said Messi vs Ronaldo, lets see what goes down. Probably the biggest match before the world cup kicks off next year. The news is full of it, sports fans everywhere must be holding their breath.

But isn't this the case every year? Now I am in India. 146 is a mere number to others, but to India its a proud ranking among footballing nations. It could be worse. Well actually it was worse back in April and May of '07 (Ranked 165) but that's beside the point. None the less, there is a renewed interest in football and most strangely among the elite and they bypass all the great games on i-league (Domestic competition) and go right ahead to Europe. I hear of all those deranged fans in West Bengal and the folks of sunny Goa who have always held pride in their football, played in their neighborhood. But for all of their professed love for the game, lets face the facts, football is tough. I know, I tried out at all my schools and colleges with limited success.

Football in India I would imagine is in fact the single largest sport played in schools as opposed to cricket. A little wiki-ing will tell you that India qualified for the '50 world cup on the back of a lot of withdrawals and again came in 4th at the '56 Olympics, 4th! Also won '51 and '61 Asian Games. I even remember reading in the papers that once footballers from Hyderabad weren't half bad. My guess is that in this period the game wasn't an elitist game. Even today football is the most accessible game in India.

European Football has been aggressively promoted to India and indeed all of Asia. It is promoted to such an extent that when I switch from an EPL match to an i-league match on TV, I find it hard to find a metaphor to describe the contrast in class. In fact last May we had Bayern Munich come down to Salt Lake Stadium to play an exhibition match against Mohan Bagan. 130,000 spectators were there and Bagan lost convincingly. The marketers know that football is such a beautiful game that people will watch it no matter who plays. But the point is to be able to create real loyalty among the fan base based on a shared identity. This is only possible when we talk of local clubs not ones that play half way arond the world.

There is hope though, cricket went from an elite colonial sport to what it is today in India regardless of all its shortcomings. With football there is less to overcome and more to gain in India if only kids are allowed to take up the sport with the knowledge that there is a livelihood there.

Meanwhile Eto'o scores for Barca 10 minutes into the game.


Interesting Reading:

1. http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=ind/ranking/gender=m/index.html
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_football/3937015.stm
3. http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2008/05/28/713897/post-match-analysis-mohun-bagan-bayern-munich
4. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/index.html
   

Market for Mandate

Honesty is such an important virtue, but in places where trust can be misplaced, credibility needs an audit. In every deal struck, the parties involved look at their own benefits before the illusive benefits of synergy arrive in the elaborate non zero-sum games. Although trust is claimed as the bedrock of any business, this trust is easier arrived at by keeping the other party honest.

And one of the most crucial deal made is the five year periodic bargain for an endorsement at the seat of power. The vote is akin to awarding of a contract, the stipulations of this contract are present in the constitution and the contract is awarded by the voters. Much like the tenders that are floated in the newspapers, the bidders have to come up with a winning offer for the contract. Ideally the winning offer should be of just & fair representation, development and what have you, but in India the offer can be converted into plain old money.

At the recent elections and in the elections of the past a curious resource is created, one that is perishable and whose rate is not fixed: The Commodified Vote. The selling price of a vote is subject to so many political conditions that the parallel to the market seems almost flawless. If it wasn't illegal, there might have been an exchange for votes with options and derivatives. It might seem naive of the candidates to trust people who sell their votes with keeping their word when the ballot is "secret" yet that is what most candidates have to settle for their money. Hardly a safeguard on their investment. But with the limits imposed by the law and public outrage, the mechanism behind the highest-bidder votes have to necessarily not get too complex or formal yet arrive at a model that delivers.

Enter Mr. Campaign Manager, the instrument for winning elections. It is only fair to have expertise on your side when faced with a seller's market. Make no mistake, if you have voted either because of a convincing campaign or by ending up with a heavier pocket, the Campaign Manager has done his job. The average going rate for a vote in 2009 was Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 depending on who you ask. Anything less and the voter is swindled and anything more and the candidate is desperate. Even at those rates, loyalty is tough to ascertain. There is always a threat that the voter collects from multiple sources and does as he wishes. That is exactly the reason why poll management is such a demanding job.


Therefore I'd like to illustrate an example (Courtesy: Dad) of a successful mechanism of election fraud mastered in India. This is a method to ensure that a vote that is bought does not end up with another candidate on counting day. (Spoiler warning: This method is no longer possible with the advent of Electronic Voting Machines used in India now)

Modus Operandi:

• Assumption: The money exchange has already taken place prior to the election date
• On the election day, each candidate is allowed to have his representatives outside the election centers seated at a designated locations.
  
• At the start of polling, one of the candidate's representative goes into the center to cast his vote but inadvertently puts the the ballot paper with the candidate's symbol marked in his pocket and walks out without voting.
• Later when the voter (who sold his vote) turns up at the representative's desk outside the center, he is given the previous ballot paper with the party's symbol marked on it. This is carried with him into the booth and he brings out his new ballot paper, which he hands over to the representative. Thus the operation is repeated all day.
  

This method obviously is not fool proof i.e. when the voter simply fails to drop the paper in the ballot. But it does ensure that the voter does not vote against the candidate after taking his money, which has to be worth something.


Interesting Reading:

1. http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2007/11/on-selling-votes.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_fraud
   

A Wasted Vote

It is the 14th of May and the pundits are out! The Election Commission only allows the media to come out with their exit polls after the elections are over (and by that, they mean all the phases). So now its over to the experts, the verdict is for them to call until the truth (a.k.a mess) is for all to see on the 16th.

Babies might have started talking in the month since I voted. My estimate (no opinion polls or surveys here) is that atleast half a million people who voted this time wouldn't make it to the date of the final result (people can wither and die in a month, especially in this Indian summer). For a whole month all were equal in this country. At the table was the control over our lives for half a decade.

As I said, I voted. I voted for a party which made the right noises, refusing to believe that the point of voting is predicting the winner. My expert friends on the TV now tell me that my vote will be a "Wasted Vote", that my candidate will go home. Moreover they say mine was a "Spoiler Vote", meaning all I did was make it difficult for my second choice candidate to win: I spoiled his chances and wasted my vote.

Clear conscience is difficult to find in election season. Back until November I followed the US elections, all the websites and blogs, TV too. I had an opinion, but that wasn't my place. Now this summer I finally had a chance to excercise my opinion and choose. So I prepared well, watched all the 13 telugu news channels, a few of the national networks and the papers too. The political satires were out, the cartoons and songs, all the political TV spots. The absurd mixed in with the pertinent. After all of that, I voted along with the 710 million others (well atleast 55% of them anyway).

And now I am told my voice was not in unison with my neighbours. That I am the problem in a democracy: people who don't take a hint. I am like the 97,421 citizens of Florida back in 2000 who, in all good faith and clear conscience voted for Ralph Nader only to be told that they inadvertently brought in the greater of the evils to power by 537 votes. I always wondered what these people did in their next shot in '04, did they buy the spoiler argument or did they stand by their dented convictions again.

In the media, for months we had all these campaigns basically saying "Vote!". They told us that's what is wrong with the country - me not voting or voting without sense. Well I voted every opportunity I got, but never with satisfaction. I even asked the polling officer this time if I could cast a blank vote, he asked me if that's why I came all the way for. I fell in line, I voted. Any case, it turns out that that legislation is not in place in India.

The word "Rajnithi" is both apt and profound. I do not share in the disgust that some might hold towards politics. I realize that the smarter people in any society would obviously choose to rule over the rest and most often the smartest would actually make it. I just hate that I am made to play the fool at the end of it all.

But the LORD ponders the hearts

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD ponders the hearts. - Proverbs 21:2

How does one justify dishonesty? By being dishonest to the self too, perhaps. Our actions and words may not always coincide with our intentions. But to live with that disappointment, one has to start down the difficult road of forgiving oneself. And forgiving self is nothing like absolving others, it means that one has to understand one's limitations, vacate long held dreams and ambitions and wake up to bitter reality - an end of innocence. This is such a trial-by-fire process that many times we choose not to accept reality so as to avoid the pain, by refusing to recognize the shattering of a dream. And to this end a logic builds in us justifying our actions or inactions. By avoiding the truth we give ourselves reprieves for the transgressions committed against the self since no law holds in such a domain.

If we were brought to trial for the crimes we have committed against ourselves, few would escape the gallows - Paul Eldridge

Doing the right thing is a tough decision to make. It is hard not only because of its consequences but more because the right choice is so difficult to identify. Indeed, it is almost impossible to define this notion of "right", but even with the assumption that it is defined and known, with all the inherent limitations that we are bestowed with, it would become crippling if every decision had to be weighed to the extent that it is determined to be infact "right". Yet it is the responsibility of everyman to own up to the decisions made, imperfect as they may be and understanding that there are consequences to actions and learn to understand and forgive oneself for not being right.

Image of the Gun

I have never used a firearm with live ammunition. The closest I ever got to it was shooting an air-gun at the shooting range. The story is similar for most people. Guns are not a part of life in India for the most part. The elections are done, atleast here in Andhra and there is not one incident involving a firearm. Armed robberies are not reported frequently. Last time there was a shooting incident of note in Hyderabad was when the police fired on agitators protesting power prices back in 2001.

Yet a gun is a symbol that is not easily ignored. Movie posters have the hero wielding a gun, either as a weapon or as an accessory. The theory and the methods of using the gun are elaborately explained to the viewers. An average kid knows a revolver has six bullets, it is common knowledge. The fascination with guns is not limited to India, everywhere people are curious.

Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest
-Mahatma Gandhi

The peculiar situation with the gun control laws in India under the Arms Act create a state where very few citizens get hold of guns for any stated purpose. Admittedly there are illegal weapons in circulation, yet their penetration is limited. And ultimately the state has successfully limited the prevalence of guns in India among citizens. But the image of the gun and the sense of power it evokes is a constant. Gun is a symbol of power or a leveler of injustice or the perpetrator of crimes.



Nations have been built on citizens carrying arms. The United States of America was possible because of armed militias constituting of citizens. The flag of Mozambique has the image of an AK-47 rifle on it as a symbol of defending its freedom. But India has no significant history of guns, independence was gained but not through an armed struggle. The nation was unified by and large voluntarily. This is not to say India is a peaceful nation. There are riots and killings, but here too guns are not the weapon of choice. Swords and knifes, sticks and hands are the tools most preferred. But a gun does arouse a sense of awe.

The public encounters the image of the gun on a daily basis. Children have a special place among their toys for gun toys. I believe that this is because as children we understand the essence of what a gun is capable of, without the justifications. A gun gives the bearer the power of life and death, a realization that control over others is possible. Hence a instrument of this nature is most sought after. This same knowledge is at the back of our minds and every image of an arm summons and reaffirms this realization.



The above picture (street art by Banksy) is an example of the potency of the image of a gun and when it is replaced by say a banana, like in the picture the impact is just not there. Yet the picture makes for a compelling viewing. Without the guns, the characters played by John Travolta and Samuel Jackson (from the movie "Pulp Fiction") are not the same people. The fear, respect or admiration is replaced by, well bananas! It is like a drink after all the fizz is gone: a symbol of impotency.